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1.4.1-Aresnergal
Brick!Club 1.4.1. UNE MÈRE QUI EN RENCONTRE UNE AUTRE AND WE MEET THE THENARDIER FAMILY. They’re assholes but they’re the kind of assholes I actually enjoy reading about. I’m weird that way. So, they have their crappy inn, with the painted sign “Au Sergent de Waterloo” because FORESHADOWING OF THE WATERLOO PART FUCK YEAH. There’s also a vehicle thingie in the street that Hugo somehow manages to make sound ridiculously terrifying with a chain and stuff. If that doesn’t scream “SWING FOR MY KIDDIES” to you then you’re clearly not Madame Thénardier because to her it clearly is. I’m not sure if we’re supposed to think she’s monstrous because terrifying vehicles look like toys to her, but on the other hand that’s also making fun good thing out of useless sinister junk which in itself wouldn’t really be that bad. And she’s watching her daughters play. Isn’t that nice ! But suddenly Fantine appears with sleeping Cosette who is apparently an absolute angel kid of something I dunno. I’ll admit here that I personally don’t find babies and toddlers to be adorable but oh well. (I think meeting them crying super loud and in high-key in public settings I couldn’t escape such as trains kinda left a strain in my appreciation for the very young) Fantine is now into poverty and it shows but somehow Cosette is still clothed like a princess. Listen honey it’s great that you love your kid and I’m not saying you should put her in rags (though that will happen anyway) but a toddler really doesn’t need a million silk dresses that won’t fit her anymore pretty soon anyway. Eating and possibly traveling faster is more important than nice fabrics any time. Like everyone the fact that the friendship wasn’t really one makes me sad, she really could have used some help and support. And oh my god she keeps trying to contact the asshole and then begins her trip to being generally bitter, that makes me sad. Also Hugo does say she coughs. I guess she might already be ill at this point. And I could have lived without knowing Tholomyès would be happy ever after. So anyway Fantine sees two happy kids and instantly decides that their mother has to be good ! Because untrustworthy assholes are ALWAYS assholes to everyone including their own kids amirite ? The sentence “Les créatures les plus féroces sont désarmées par la caresse à leurs petits” (The most ferocious creatures are unarmed by the petting of their little ones (or something like that, as always, too lazy to search more suitable translations) makes me chuckles every time. I mean I get what he means but I wouldn’t advise anyone to take it literally and try to cuddle a baby bear in front of its mommy ‘cause I doubt it would please her. The lady introduce herself as “Madame Thénardier”. Come on, your first name is probably not Madame. It’s right down with “Inspecteur Javert”. HUGO, OPEN A FIRST NAME BOOK. Or look up a calendar and give names at random, please. Also I hesitate between this chapter or the next to begin my offended rant about how Hugo describe Madame Thénardier’s physical appearance in really harsh words because WOH LOOK SHE’S TALL AND BROAD AND NOT FEMININE. I mean he downright says “hommasse” (homme (man) + -asse which is one of those derogatory suffixes you tend to put there to make sure everyone understand you don’t mean it in a good way. Also he compares her to a colossus from a fair and stuff. Do you need to tell us that tall broad women belong in freak shows ?! Hugo I love you, but on that part, well fuck you, man. /rant Cosette now plays with Eponine and Azelma which is super cute but super sad too because we know where this is going. Also yeah we learn about the name thing but I already gave my “Tholomyès totally chose Euphrasie” headcannon yesterday. I do agree with Hugo though, some nicknames are WEIRD. And Gnon is a pretty damn stupid nickname too. I don’t know if that was already in use at the time though, but in argot “un gnon” is basically a punch in the face. Or elsewhere, but, you know, a punch. So nicknaming your grandkid that way is pretty damn strange. So Madame Thénardier says that WOH LOOK THEY’RE GETTING ALONG LIKE SISTERS which was apparently what Fantine waited to ask if they’d take her in. No, Fantine, no. You shouldn’t. You know her since ten minutes. Just go to Montreuil-sur-Mer and then pretend your husband’s dead. If you can lie to an innkeeper woman you can lie to an employer. I mean it’s not like nowadays, they’re not going to ask you one million papers. Especially not at a time when no one apparently raises an eyebrow at your incomplete name. Be serious now. Gee you could even pretty easily make up a name and they wouldn’t care. Anyway Madame Thénardier is rightfully surprised. I guess she doesn’t really want to give any answer without her husband’s opinion But thankfully Fantine mentions money which is apparently the magic incantation to summon said hubby’s voice (I guess he listened to the entire conversation) (and apparently doesn’t care enough to step out to discuss it eye-to-eye) (But Fantine doesn’t take the hint) Well naturally he rises the price and asks the clothes and stuff. I’m slightly amused at how his wife is basically his pocket calculator, giving the totals and stuff. I wonder if she had to pay for the night at the inn. I think their standard price is 20 sous when Valjean gets there later on though, so I guess after paying them 57 francs it doesn’t really change much. And apparently Fantine came right at the precise good moment to help Thénardier out of his debt ! Seriously I don’t know how he manages to constantly have debt problems and then find people to pay for him. Though they do end up bankrupt somehow. (On another hand I’m not sure why he installed his inn there instead of someplace with more people passing through) Also, yeah, “tes petites” (your little ones/ daughters). In fact I think in the whole book the only part where he actually calls his kids “my daughter/child” is when he’s trying to scam people, in letters and such ? I’d have to re-read the other parts with him but yeah he really doesn’t feel involved in his children. More than Tholomyès though, I guess. Commentary Pilferingapples I think Thenardier just constantly has debt problems, so when he finds anyone with money, it’s always convenient. >_< Also WOW, even Thenardier is MORE INVOLVED than Tholomyes. I wonder what kept him with his wife and kids so long, anyway? Just the built-in henchfolk potential? We’re never given any hint of my being slightly sentimental. Aresnergal (reply to Pilferingapples) Well yeah, but how does he DO to be CONSTANTLY IN DEBT I mean for a scam guy he sure sucks at economics. And well, if we go by Hugo’s constant comparison of that family with wolves, I guess he has a magical pack instinct. Actually it’s weird to think about his reasons because that imply imagining him actually giving a shit about his family and that seems a little odd considering from what we see he doesn’t really mind whether they’re around or not. Which might be just that, actually. Maybe the others just keep sticking around and he just rolls with it and have them help him with the dirty work because they happen to be there. Gavroche went on the streets but from what Hugo says he does come back home once in a while to say hello and then return to the street, and he doesn’t seem to be particularly welcomed or kicked out, and well the two youngest are basically rented to Magnon because the mother hates them and the dad just jumps on the occasion to have some income from it. I mean if he has any feelings like affection he hides it damn well because even the narrator doesn’t see them. Though I guess if there isn’t that kind of affection there’s still the sheer power of habits. As in “whatever I’m used to having them around”.